MLB Players Power Rankings: Top 10 Hitters in 2019
Who was the best hitter during the 2019 baseball season? We break it all down in this latest edition of MLB Players Power Rankings.
2019 will forever be remembered as the year of the juiced baseballs. While I have my reservations about the juiced ball theory, there is has without a doubt been a drastic increase in power production this season.
Because of this, the final “MLB Players Power Rankings” of the year features a nice mix of veterans and young talent, which can only signal one thing: baseball’s next generation is finally here. As you scroll through the list, pay close attention to the players that comprise it.
Not surprisingly, your top five hitters turned out to be the only five MVP candidates in the AL and NL. Everyone else, however, is a mishmash of players from all across MLB.
With that being said, here are your top 10 hitters of the 2019 MLB season.
10. Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
2019 Stats: 0.583 SLG | 0.392 wOBA | 128 wRC+ | 5.9 fWAR
9. Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox
2019 Stats: 0.555 SLG | 0.390 wOBA | 141 wRC+ | 6.8 fWAR
8. Nelson Cruz, Minnesota Twins
2019 Stats: 0.639 SLG | 0.417 wOBA | 163 wRC+ | 4.3 fWAR
7. George Springer, Houston Astros
2019 Stats: 0.591 SLG | 0.400 wOBA | 156 wRC+ | 6.5 fWAR
6. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
2019 Stats: 0.592 SLG | 0.405 wOBA | 151 wRC+ | 7.1 fWAR
MLB Players Power Rankings (5): Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals
2019 Stats: 0.598 SLG | 0.413 wOBA | 154 wRC+ | 7.0 fWAR
In some circles, after Christian Yelich went down for the season with an injury to his knee cap, many started making the case for Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon for NL MVP. Had the season started in the 2nd half, those on team Rendon wouldn’t be wrong.
Beginning in the second half of the season, Anthony Rendon took the National League by storm. Not only did he play more games (71) than his competitors — Yelich (48 G) and Cody Bellinger (68 G) — but he also has a higher fWAR (3.7) than they do (Yelich: 2.7 and Bellinger: 2.4).
Seeing that they have one of baseball’s unique talents in their hands, it was reported this week that the Washington Nationals offered Rendon a 7-year, $210M deal. Perhaps believing that he can be better, Rendon turned the deal down, opting instead to test free agency after the postseason.
With the Nats defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card Game, Rendon will have a chance to continue to put his talents on display. It’s a bold risk, leaving $30M AAV on the table. However, it’s one that could pay off big time, especially if the Nats walk away with a World Series title.
MLB Players Power Rankings (4): Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers
2019 Stats: 0.629 SLG | 0.415 wOBA | 162 wRC+ | 7.7 fWAR
Cody Bellinger started off the 2019 MLB season on absolute fire. Through 47 games this year, Bellinger was hitting .404 with a 1.271 OPS. In that same span, he managed to hit 17 HR and 44 RBI. This got some discussing whether Bellinger could become the first hitter to hit .400 in a season since Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams did it in 1941.
Bellinger was by far the best player in baseball for the first half of the season, posting the best fWAR (5.4) in the National League. Even though the second half hasn’t been as fortuitous for Bellinger, it’s still been good enough to keep him in the NL MVP race against Cody Bellinger and Anthony Rendon.
Overall, Bellinger finished the season with a .305 AVG and a 1.035 OPS. He also has the most home runs (47) and RBI (121) of all the NL MVP candidates which is definitely good enough to garner some votes for the award when all is said and done. For now, he’s focused on helping the Los Angeles Dodgers finally win a World Series.
MLB Players Power Rankings (3): Alex Bregman, Houston Astros
2019 Stats: 0.592 SLG | 0.418 wOBA | 168 wRC+ | 8.4 fWAR
A few weeks ago, it was a foregone conclusion that Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout was going to walk away with the third AL MVP award of his career. Then, the Angels announced that Trout would miss the remainder of the season after opting to have right foot surgery.
In doing so, Trout removed the giant cloud that hovers over the AL West only to reveal that there actually might be another player who was arguably better in 2019: Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman.
A side-by-side look at each player’s stats could potentially give the edge to Trout.
- Mike Trout: .438 OBP | .645 SLG | .436 wOBA | 180 wRC+ | 8.6 fWAR
- Alex Bregman: .423 OBP | .592 SLG | .423 wOBA | 168 wRC+ | 8.5 fWAR
However, what Trout doesn’t have that Bregman does is…
- Bregman’s team is postseason bound
- Without Bregman’s 8.5 wins his team is 98-63, losing home field in the postseason
- Bregman played in 22 more games than Trout did
- Bregman is better defensively and plays a tougher position
What’s more, in the eyes of many fans, analysts, and spectators, Bregman brings more personality to the game, all the while taking a leadership position in bringing baseball to the modern world.
I’m not sure who I vote for at this point, but I will say that Bregman has the edge.
MLB Players Power Rankings (2): Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
2019 Stats: 0.671 SLG | 0.442 wOBA | 174 wRC+ | 7.8 fWAR
This season, Christian Yelich looked to capture his second consecutive NL MVP award. However, some back issues and then ultimately a season-ending injury could actually have cost him the award in the end.
For some time, some wondered if 2018 was a fluke season for the veteran outfielder. Within weeks of the 2019 season, however, it was clear that MLB had found the Mike Trout of the National League.
Yelich was consistently good all season, finishing off the year with the highest batting average (.329) and OPS (1.100) of the top five hitters in this list. What’s more, his 31 first-half home runs had many speculating if he could be the first hitter to exceed 60 or more home runs since the steroid era.
Yelich is very much still in the running for the NL MVP award. However, many will start to point out how his team rallied together by going 13-5 since his injury to go on a postseason run.
In the end, the Brewers lost a nail biter to the Washington Nationals in the NL Wild Card game, ending one of the most memorable runs to recent memory.
MLB Players Power Rankings (1): Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
2019 Stats: 0.645 SLG | 0.436 wOBA | 180 wRC+ | 8.6 fWAR
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And now, arguably the greatest player of all time, if not of the last couple of generations: Mike Trout. Vying for his third AL MVP award in nine MLB seasons, Trout somehow only got better this in 2019.
In the end, he finished the year with an 8.6 fWAR, the highest in MLB, and established himself as the best run creator in the game by posting a 180 wRC+, also tops in baseball. What’s more, he posted career highs in home runs with 45 and slugging (.645).
The only knock anyone can have on Trout is that he once again failed to carry his team into the postseason. In fact, in his nine MLB seasons, the Angels have only managed to make it to the playoffs once, in 2014.
Some have wondered if agreeing to the richest contract in American professional sports, a deal that will pay him $35.5M AAV until 2030, would hamper the Angels organization in the long run. For 2019, you can certainly make that argument, especially when you consider that Trout’s 8.6 wins wouldn’t even have made the Angels a Wild Card contender.
dark. Next. Phillies leave Gabe Kapler twisting in the wind
Hopefully, Angels brass can get creative and begin to build a winner around baseball’s best player. Otherwise, they risk staining Trout’s career akin to all-time baseball greats like Ted Williams and Barry Bonds.